The Big Ten is set to make a splash in this week’s NFL Draft, which will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at Radio City Music Hall. ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has six Big Ten prospects being selected in his most recent mock draft.

The NFL draft is quickly approaching – May 8-10, to be exact – and it looks like there could be plenty of Big Ten love in the first round. We have all heard the names like Taylor Lewan, Darqueze Dennard and Ryan Shazier. We know their strengths, and we know their weaknesses.

If you’re on Twitter, you can vote in our ongoing series of Big Ten social media polls for our weekday show #BTNLive. On tonight’s episode of #BTNLive at 6 p.m. ET, our experts discuss this question: How many schools should qualify for the college football playoff?

The NFL draft begins a week from today. The build up has been lengthy. The anticipation is great. Intrigue dominates the top picks, as no one is sure what the Houston Texans will be do with the No. 1 overall pick. The Big Ten has to hope this year’s draft is more productive than last year’s, which was largely forgettable.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of a good football program. Ask any coach. The team with the best players typically wins the game. Well, when it comes to an investment in talent procurement, the Big Ten is upping its ante.

The Big Ten spring football season is officially in the books, which means it’s time to point out those who stood out and made an impact for their respective teams. I reached out to writers from every Big Ten school and asked them who they were most impressed with in their team’s spring football game and why.